New Zealand: 3 South Island Day Hikes
If you like being outside, you will like being in New Zealand. And if you like hiking, you’ll be in heaven. There are hikes for all levels of fitness, enthusiasm and expertise - short walks, medium hikes, backcountry trekking, and 9 multi-day hut-to-hut adventures they call the Great Walks.
As somebody of middling fitness, high enthusiasm and low expertise, my hiking sweet spot is the day hike. I love a hike that requires very little technical ability, some stamina, doesn’t require you to carry much equipment and rewards you with some excellent views. So here are my favorite day hikes from the South Island.
Roys Peak, Wanaka: Buzzy, charming Wanaka has managed to tap into the social-media-savvy influencer crowd, and they have endlessly hyped this hike. And that’s because the views are just that good. It deserves all the attention it gets. The hike itself is, frankly, a bit of a slog. Starting from a parking lot six kilometers west of town, it is literally four miles of switchbacks up the side of the mountain to the famous viewpoint. And when you’re ready to leave, it’s four miles of switchbacks back down. But the path is wide, smooth and well-maintained. There aren’t any rock scrambles, no rivers to cross, no difficult areas. It’s just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other for about 3 hours up and 2 hours down. It will be crowded, and unless you go very early or very late you will probably have to stand in line to take “that selfie,” but it was so gorgeous I couldn’t even pretend to be annoyed. Bring layers of clothing to adapt to changing weather (including something waterproof), drinking water, and sunscreen and a hat as the entire track is fully exposed to the sun. And don’t forget your camera.
Soooooo many switchbacks
The Hooker Track, Aoraki/Mt. Cook: Aoraki/Mt. Cook is the king of New Zealand mountains - Hillary trained here for his Everest expeditions. To be completely clear, I harbored no ambitions whatsoever to climb the mountain. I just wanted to go for a hike that would give me some great views of the mountain. The Hooker Valley Track is a very gentle 6-mile (round trip) trail from the tiny park village towards the base of the mountain. It has very little elevation gain, the trail is extremely well-maintained and there are a lot of beautiful view points, making this an excellent hike for anyone looking for a good day out that isn’t going to stress you. Sunscreen and a hat are recommended, as the trail is almost entirely in full sun. As always, dressing in layers is ideal - you end the hike at a glacier lake and the wind off that lake can be bitterly cold.
The drive into the park is pretty striking
Mt Cook at sunset, seen from the park village
Several swing bridges make for scenic stops along the way
The final vista - there are a few picnic tables if you want to sit and linger
Abel Tasman Coast Track, Marahau: Abel Tasman National Park, on the north end of the South Island, is home to one of New Zealand’s famous Great Walks. There are nine of these extended trails in parks across the country, each designed to be hiked by backpackers over several days with huts for the hikers to stay in. Abel Tasman is unique because it runs along an extremely lovely coast dotted with golden beaches. This means that you can boat in and boat out at numerous locations, walking only the parts of the track that interest you. Several “water taxi” companies in the area offer a daily schedule of pick-ups and drop-offs at set locations, allowing hikers to tailor their days to their interests. I spent several days in the park, taxiing in and out at various points, but my favorite day was the 8-mile hike between Anchorage Bay and the park gateway town of Marahau. While it can be done in either direction, I recommend taxiing to Anchorage and walking back to town at your own pace - this allows you to complete the hardest part of the hike early in the day when the weather is cool and your muscles are fresh, and ending your hike at a cafe where you can reward yourself with a snack. The trail is very clear, well-labeled and easily walked in sneakers. Bring a bathing suit, as the trail passes half a dozen beaches. Also worth considering: the weather at sea. On a windy day, the water taxi ride can be rough and you might want some sea sickness prevention tablets. There are also a number of hike-and-kayak packages, if that’s your thing.
I was very impressed with how well-maintained the trails were
If you go: New Zealand’s comprehensive Department of Conservation website (doc.govt.nz) has more details on these hikes and many more - check it (and the weather forecast) before you hit the trail.
